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Plus c,a Change

London was not the only European capital to come down with a case of political instability. In Paris, French President Georges Pompidou decided that it was time for a change and replaced an old Cabinet with a new one headed by a not-so-nouveau Premier. In Rome, yet another shaken Italian coalition government fell--or, rather, was pushed into resigning. Items:

>For several months, French political pundits have been forecasting the imminent demise of ineffective Gaullist Premier Pierre Messmer. Last week Messmer did indeed resign, along with his entire government, only to be replaced six hours later by none other than Pierre Messmer. Although the number of Ministers in the new Cabinet had been trimmed from 23 to 16 in the name of "cohesion," the major portfolios --economy and foreign policy--remained in familiar hands. Valery Giscard d'Estaing continues as Finance Minister. Michel Jobert remains as Foreign Minister. So why the reshuffle?

One reason for the change was Pompidou's determination to persuade his disenchanted countrymen that the regime plans to attack actively such major problems as inflation and mounting labor unrest. Still another aim, most observers suspect, is the determination of the President--who many Frenchmen believe will resign before the 1976 elections because of his ill health--to keep firm control of the government. By re-appointing Messmer, Pompidou made it clear that he is not yet ready to anoint a possible successor.

>The average life span of Italian governments is only about ten months, but Premier Mariano Rumor's latest Cabinet (his fourth) could not even equal the norm. Formed eight months ago, following the departure of Premier Giulio Andreotti, the Rumor government collapsed last week because of a controversy over inflation controls.

Ironically, the same man shot down both Premiers. Since no single party has had enough seats in the Chamber of Deputies to run Italy alone, the country of late has been governed by a series of center-left coalitions. The majority of them have included by necessity the small, mildly leftist Republican Party headed by Ugo La Malfa, 70. La Malfa deserted Andreotti in a dispute over state control of cable television. Last week, after a disagreement over fiscal policy, he announced that he would no longer serve as Rumor's Treasury Minister. La Malfa's Republicans followed him out of the coalition, and Rumor had no choice but to resign.

Rumor will remain in place as caretaker while trying to form a new center-left coalition. Failing that a new Premier might have to resort to a one-party minority government. But the country's problems may be too much for such a government. Not only is there rampant inflation, widespread unemployment and an energy crisis, but Italy faces a spring referendum on repeal of a three-year-old divorce law that could split Italians along religious lines.

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